By Paula Cabaleiro and Jorge Gil
Medellín, Colombia, July 8 (EFE).- More than three decades after Colombian defender Andrés Escobar was murdered following the 1994 World Cup, his death remains one of football’s darkest tragedies.
Family, friends, and former teammates continue to remember him not only for the own goal that preceded his killing but also for the character, leadership, and sportsmanship that made him one of Colombia’s most admired players.
Escobar, who played for Atlético Nacional, was shot dead on July 2, 1994, at the age of 27 after leaving a bar in Medellín.
Ten days earlier, he had scored an own goal in Colombia’s 2-1 defeat to hosts the United States, a result that contributed to the team’s elimination from the tournament under coach Francisco Maturana.
